My Cousins, My Brothers

I am an only child. When I was younger it was really hard because I always wanted a sibling to hang out and play with. However, it was not in God's plan to give me a sibling. He did, however, bless me with my amazing cousins.

Growing up, I remember going on trips together, and spending all the holidays with my cousins. I wish we could have seen each other more often, but we lived quite far from one another. One of our prime vacation spots was at Wisconsin Dells staying at the Wilderness Lodge. My cousins and I would play tricks on each other, go to every water park together, and just use our imagination 24/7. I remember two years in a row our families accidently set off the fire alarm because we tried cooking in our hotel kitchen! It was endless laughter, and the memories we made as kids still follow us into our adult lives.

I mean it when I say my cousins are like my brothers. They each have a special place in my heart, and I want to give you a little insight into who they are. I want to be respectful of their privacy, so I will address them by the first letter of their first name.

A

A is one of my oldest cousins. He is kind, intelligent, patient, family oriented, and loves our family heritage. I remember when he was 16, I was 11, and I would always try to take his phone and hide it from him as a joke. I'm not sure if he found it to be very funny, but he played along anyway. He never got upset with us for wanting him to hang out with us all the time. In fact, he was the one who could always make us laugh. That is the kind of man he is. He puts his family and their happiness first. He has grown into this very successful and accomplished man who I am very proud to call my family. In some of my darkest times, he has been there for me without judgement. He has taught me so much. Even though he is my cousin, I consider him to be an older brother who I look up to in many ways.

V

V is a year and a half younger than me. Growing up we were very close since our ages are not far apart. He was honestly one of my first friends I ever made on this Earth. We were inseparable as kids. At every family gathering where I was, he was and wherever he was, I was. One of our favorite things to do growing up was play pretend. I remember we always used to pretend we were teachers and had our own classroom of students to teach. It is funny to look back on that memory now because my cousin is currently studying to be a teacher! I am very blessed to have this close friendship with him because we have always been there for each other. I am so proud of how he loves his family, works hard in school, and dreams big just like when we were kids. Again, even though he is my cousin, I view him as a younger brother who I know will always be there to make me smile.

T

T is two years younger than me. He joined our family when I was young. I honestly can't even remember the exact year because it has been so long. When we were kids, his mom started dating one of my older cousins and they have been together ever since. We quickly grew close because, again, our ages are not far apart. He became a member of our family overnight and I am so grateful that he did. He was the missing puzzle piece to our family. Growing up, he would come on trips with us and spend the holidays with us. He even came up with a nickname for me that has stuck with me all these years later. Now, my whole family calls me by that name! It is a fun inside joke that would have never been born without him. He is currently in college and having the time of his life. He works hard, displays leadership on his volleyball team, and is an example for everyone to follow. I am so proud of the man he is becoming, and I cannot wait to see where life takes him. I thank God every night for blessing me with another cousin that I can call my younger brother.

Overall, these three men in my life not only inspire me daily but also gave me the greatest gift of all. They became my brothers. I cannot begin to describe how blessed I feel to have this special gift from God. Always remember, that family is family. No matter how far you go from each other, you always have that love of home to bring you all back together. When I say home, I don't mean a physical home either. Home is home as long as family is together. I am counting down the days until we are all together again to laugh and make more memories as a family.